A dedication and grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Saturday, December 14 for Carrollton’s new Fire Station 8 (4041 Huffines Boulevard). The public was invited to attend the event and see the City’s newest Fire facility that boasts high efficiency and low maintenance operational features. The Mayor and City Council officiated the event with a ribbon cutting and ceremonial first berthing of Engine 118 into the new station.

The location for Fire Station 8 was selected to improve the response times to the northwestern portion of the City, and will also help provide response times in compliance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Insurance Services Office (ISO) guidelines, as well as maximize the response capability to the City as a whole thus improving Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and fire protection service delivery.

“We are very excited to have Station 8 in operation as it will help reduce initial response times to the northwestern portion of the City by as much as four minutes, as well as help reduce City wide response times and provide the needed services of an additional engine company,” commented Fire Chief John G. Murphy.

Design of the 9,034 square foot station was initiated in 2011 and construction began in 2012. The project cost was $2,150,000. The contractor delivering the project is Cooper General Contractors, a Carrollton company.

The station will initially house Engine Company 118, Brush Truck 118, and Reserve Medic 118. The station was designed for anticipated future expansion and can accommodate up to two fire companies, a Medic unit, and has room for maximum staffing of ten personnel.

Murphy further stated, “The addition of Station 8 will also assist Carrollton Fire Rescue in obtaining our purpose statement which reads, ‘Each Team member is responsible for championing emergency prevention as the Carrollton way to accomplish our Mission and to ensure the safety of all team members. When emergencies do occur, we deploy with a fit and healthy team that responds in a hurry, makes a positive difference, and returns home safely.”’

Station features include an exhaust system and air filtration system designed to detect high carbon monoxide and other hazardous gas levels; a low maintenance floor with a built in slip resistance feature, door sensors, and trench drains connected to the sanitary sewer; a decontamination room to clean EMS equipment and personnel, if required, in the event they may have been exposed to a hazard on an incident scene; a shop for minor equipment repairs; a supply storage room and an EMS storage room; Captain’s offices; a dorm area that houses eight individual rooms to accommodate female and male Fire Fighters; a training room; a lobby with direct communication access to the City’s 911 Dispatch Center; and a wellness/fitness room.